Smiling their way to weapons of mass destruction.

Smiling their way to weapons of mass destruction.

Original Thinking by Barry Shaw.

When an enemy uses mass destruction on its own people, and also  threatens other states, there should be no dilemma between security and morality.

We saw that with Hitler. We saw it with Saddam Hussein. We see it in Syria. We see it with Iran as they race to the ultimate weapon of mass destruction.

In all cases, the free world failed to recognize and name the perpetrators as their enemy until much too late.

In all cases, the free world chose to appease and delay action until conditions became infinitely worse for them to respond.

As Hitler’s troops were massacring Jews and marching into Poland, America said, “It’s not our fight.”

In 1940, after Nazi Germany was already occupying Poland and Czechoslovakia, presidential candidate Roosevelt said, “I will not allow our boys to fight in a foreign war,” and got himself elected with this slogan. It was only in 1941, after Japan attacked US ships in Pearl Harbor, which Roosevelt described as “an act of infamy” did American wake up to the moral cause of World War 2. By that time Germany had reached Moscow and the French coast.

The use of chemical weapons by Saddam Hussein against the Kurds in Halabje did nothing to encourage America and its allies to step in on the basis of morality and a serious breach of international law for the use of chemical weapons on civilians. He had to march into Kuwait and threaten American interests in Saudi Arabia before President Bush One rushed his forces to stop him. Morality and humanitarian causes be damned it seems when others are being slaughtered with mass destruction.

One can assume that the West will only act against Syria, or even Iran, after America itself has been targeted for death and destruction, and not before if history is anything to go by.

Deterrence, it seems, is no longer a factor or strategic option for the West.

This clearly applies to Iran. We will see the West become hypnotized by the upcoming charm offensive from the new Iranian leadership. With an adopted strategic policy of appeasement and wishful thinking, the West will be seduced by nice words and empty promises, rather than hold Iran’s feet to the fire.

Rouhani’s centrifuges keep spinning as he smiles his way to the bomb.

Barry Shaw is the Special Consultant on Delegitimization Issues to The Strategic Dialogue Center at Netanya Academic College.

He is also the author of ‘Israel Reclaiming the Narrative.’  www.israelnarrative.com